The Ophioglossophyta are a small group of plants. Traditionally they are included in the division Pteridophyta, the ferns, originally as a family and later as the order Ophioglossales. However, it is now recognized that this group is wholly distinct from the ferns and apparently from the other extant groups of plants. Thus they may be given a separate division, called the Ophioglossophyta. One scheme groups them with the horsetails and whisk ferns in the division Archeophyta. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering... Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Binomial name Cheiroglossa palmata (L.) K. Presl. ... The Botrychiaceae (moonwort family) is a small family of three genera in the order Ophioglossophyta. ... Species Botrychium boreale Botrychium lanceolatum Botrychium lunaria Botrychium matricariifolium Botrychium simplex Moonwort is also a fernlike plant known as honesty. ... Species Botrypus virginianum Grape-ferns are seedless vascular plants of the genus Botrypus, closely allied to (and previously often included in) the genus Botrychium (moonworts). ... Species Sceptridium dissectum Sceptridium multifidum Sceptridium rugulosum Sceptridium is a genus of seedless vascular plants, closely allied to (and previously often included in) the genus Botrychium (moonworts) and also closely related to the genus Botrypus (grape-ferns). ... Binomial name Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. ... Divisions Green algae Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... Classes Marattiopsida Osmundopsida Gleicheniopsida Pteridopsida A fern, or pteridophyte, is any one of a group of some twenty thousand species of plants classified in the Division Pteridophyta, formerly known as Filicophyta. ... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois - Whisk Fern Psilotum complanatum Sw. ...

The two principal families of ophioglossoids are the adders-tongues, Ophioglossaceae, and the moonworts and grape-ferns, Botrychiaceae. Many workers still place the moonworts in the Ophioglossaceae, along with the distinct species Helminthostachys zeylanica. Other times, this species is given its own family Helminthostachiaceae. Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Species Botrychium boreale Botrychium lanceolatum Botrychium lunaria Botrychium matricariifolium Botrychium simplex Moonwort is also a fernlike plant known as honesty. ... The Botrychiaceae (moonwort family) is a small family of three genera in the order Ophioglossophyta. ... Binomial name Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. ...

All the ophioglossoids have short-lived spores formed in sporangia lacking an annulus, and borne on a stalk that splits from the leaf blade; and fleshy roots. Many species only send up one frond or leaf-blade per year. A few species send up the fertile spikes only, without any conventional leaf-blade. The gametophytes are subterranean. The spores will not germinate if exposed to sunlight, and the gametophyte can live some two decades without forming a sporophyte. The term spore has several different meanings in biology. ... A sporangium (pl. ... In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ... A fern with simple (lobed or pinnatifid) blades, the dissection of each blade not quite reaching to the rachis. ... In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... A gametophyte is the haploid structure or phase of life of a sexually reproducing plant. ... A sporophyte is the diploid structure or phase of life of a sexually reproducing plant. ...

The genus Ophioglossum has the highest chromosome counts of any known plant. Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ...

External links

• Ophioglossophyta images (http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/imaxxoph.htm)